@Former Member posted:Unfortunately I do not have many friends in the hobby with ties to TCA, so for me it is not a social event as much as it is a sociological event where you can buy things and enjoy the item and people watching in the most positive sense.
York is the perfect place to make friends in the hobby. When I started going to York, I had almost no friends in the hobby beyond the online-only friends I made here on the forum. At York, I was able to make many of those online friends into in-person friends, and I've also made quite a few friends there that are not on this or any other forum. Some of them are even close enough to home that I occasionally see them outside of York (usually at other train shows). Once all of this happened, York became a social event for me, and my York trips grew from very long one day trips, to two-day trips, to three-day trips, to four-day trips, and currently to five-day trips. And if this Purple Hall "Bandit Meet" turns into a success, it might turn into a six-day trip in the future. 
Oh, and if you really like people-watching (and I do, as well), become a table-holder in a member hall and you will see a vast assortment of people of all ages and walks of life to watch. 
Andy
